How Can We Design More Reliable Systems to Meet Our Communities’ Energy Needs?

In February 2021, a cold front brought record-low temperatures to Texas, which caused a surge in demand for electricity as people turned up their heaters. The state's power grid was not prepared to meet the increased demand, as many power plants were offline due to maintenance or weather-related issues. In addition, the state's electric grid was not designed to withstand extreme weather events, which are becoming more common as the climate changes. When windmills and natural gas froze due to the cold weather, the magnets that produce electric current in the wire stopped moving, and energy did not transfer into the grid.